Resumen (otros idiomas)

There are several publications warning about the infra reporting of dementia in death
certificates of clinically demented patients as well as a lower mortality from cancer in
demented patients compared to those without dementia.
All participants in a prospective population study ( NEDICES ) of 5,278 elderly were
screened for dementia and followed for a mean of 12.5 years , after which the death
certificates of those who died were examined to estimate the proportion of dementia
coding and the cancer-specific mortality associated with the diagnosis of AD ( Alzheimer's
disease ) . A total of 1976 (47.1% ) subjects died, including 277 possible or probable
diagnosis of AD and non- AD dementia 126 .
Dementia was coded as the leading cause of death in only 20.8% of demented subjects.
Younger subjects, subjects with severe stages of dementia or diagnosed with probable or
possible AD had higher dementia coding rates in death certificates.
Cancer was reported less frequently in those with possible or probable AD (5.8%) than in
those without dementia (26.5%) . Finally cancer mortality report was also reduced in
patients without dementia with greater decline in cognitive screening scores compared to
those with a slight decrease. Data published worldwide about infra reporting of dementia
in the death certificates and the inverse association of AD and cancer mortality are similar
in NEDICES cohort. The deterioration in scores on cognitive tests , while not reaching the
criteria for the diagnosis of dementia, are also correlated with lower cancer mortality
report .